BTS member V (Kim Tae-hyung) revealed on August 12, 2026, during a livestream that his right ear hearing is about 30% of his left ear's 100% capacity [1, 2, 3, 4]. He said, "If one ear is at about 100, I can only hear about 30 with the other" [2].
V has been dealing with this hearing problem for roughly two and a half years. He told fans, "I’ve never told ARMY about this before, but I think it’s been about two and a half years. My hearing has gotten worse" [2]. The condition worsened during his mandatory military service, which he completed in June 2025. V described the military environment, saying the problem "got a little worse in the military, and since I was surrounded by people who exercised a lot, everyone said, ‘It’s a matter of mental strength.’ After that, I kind of convinced myself that it was a matter of mental strength" [2].
V is now taking medication and regularly visiting doctors to manage his hearing [1, 2, 3, 4].
During the same livestream, fellow BTS member Jung Kook disclosed he is dealing with a serious tibia injury involving inflammation and micro fractures close to a fatigue fracture [3, 4]. Reacting to V’s comments, Jung Kook cautioned, "You shouldn’t do that" regarding dismissing health issues as merely mental strength [2].
BTS resumed group activities in March 2026 with the release of their album "ARIRANG" and are currently on the "ARIRANG" world tour [1, 3, 4]. The tour includes stops in the US, Canada, and Taiwan, with three shows scheduled from November 19 to 22, 2026, at the Kaohsiung National Stadium in Taiwan [1, 3, 4].
